Clean
by monophobian
Summary: KOGKAG. Prompt: "How to you think kouga would react if kagome drinks an elixir that temporarily turns her into a wolf and after it wears off it leaves her with just a tail?" - - - Kwami Swap AU for AU Yeah August.


_I made some adjustments from the original prompt and this is what I ended up with._

* * *

The sun was rising steadily in the clear sky and birds were chirping happily in the forest. There was a wonderful breeze that kept the heat from becoming unbearable. It felt good. Soft. A quiet brush over her skin. Surrounded by friends and sitting on soft grass, it should have been the perfect start of the day.

Her tail twitched.

First, she had a tail. A black tail to match the color of her hair. Not only did it get in the way when she was trying to sit comfortably, but it was _sensitive_. Just the slightest movement against the growth of her fur hurt, but a caress in the right direction sent shivers up her spine.

And that wasn't all that was wrong. Kagome had claws, sharp and pointed and deadly judging from the accidental scratches she'd left over her legs. Even rubbing her eyes had proven to be dangerous until she finally figured out how to rub them clean with her knuckle. At least Shippou hadn't seemed to mind the change.

But the worse thing she'd woken up to this morning — the absolute _worst_ — was her ridiculously enhanced senses. She could smell _everything_. Inuyasha needed a bath and then he needed to dry out in the sun. That awful stench of wet dog wouldn't leave her nose. And Miroku needed to get away from Sango. Every time the poor girl turned around or leaned over, his scent spiked.

It was gross.

Thankfully, the visitors didn't stink. Ginta and Hakkaku smelled good, relaxing in a way that reminded her of her bed at home. Something about them called to her, giving her the want to run through the trees and swim in crystal clear water.

Kouga— Kouga smelled _wonderful_.

Clean, which was odd. Sango smelled clean and Miroku almost, but Kouga was _clean_. And he smelled of the forest with that subtle grass on his legs and the pine in his hair. Kagome wasn't certain how he managed to pull it off, but he certainly did.

"Turn her back!" Inuyasha yelled at the ookami— well, _human_ , it seemed.

"You think I had something to do with this?" came the heated reply and his anger only churned that scent of the forest higher in the air.

"Pretty obvious considering _you're_ human while _she's_ a wolf!"

Kagome sighed, pulling her legs up to her chest. This had been going on for hours.

"If I knew how to turn Kagome into a wolf, don't you think I would have stayed one myself?"

"He has a point, Inuyasha," Miroku joined in, though Kagome had no idea why he bothered. It wasn't going to help anything. "With the current circumstances, Kouga can't even fully enjoy Kagome's new form."

"Fully enjoy—!" Inuyasha whirled on Miroku and Kagome pressed her forehead against her knees. They didn't have to be so _loud_. "You wanna explain what you mean by that, monk?"

Mischief bloomed on the breeze and Kagome wondered if Inuyasha could scent their emotions as easily as she could.

"I'm merely pointing out that he can hardly go running with her."

Kagome peeked up over her knees and studied Miroku. His scent spoke of the truth with a small amount of lie and she wondered which part was the lie. Probably that he was _only_ speaking about running, knowing the pervert.

"And I'm certain she smells different, right?"

Three noses lifted to the air, each drawing in their own breath, and she wanted to _die_.

"So why would Kouga issue so many changes to then turn around and dull his senses to the point that he can't really enjoy them?"

That sharp scent rose, the one that meant he was thinking dirty thoughts, and Inuyasha growled in response.

"Not helping, Miroku," she grumbled, her words a little warbled by the new fangs in her mouth.

"Is it really that different?" Shippou asked, speaking for the first time since the fighting started. "I know you don't have our nose, but I didn't think it was _that_ bad."

All eyes flicked between her and Kouga and Kagome hid her face again. How was she supposed to look at everyone when she could practically tell what they were thinking?!

"How is your nose, Kagome?" This one came from Sango and Kagome knew she was screwed. With everyone hopping into the conversation, they'd never leave her alone. "I know it can be overwhelming for young youkai, especially when they get around people not their family—"

Oh no, if she didn't stop this soon, it was only going to get worse.

"—but usually the older ones have a better—"

"Let's just say that everyone needs a bath and I don't ever want to smell anything ever again!"

Her outburst worked. Finally. Blessed, blessed silence.

"Everyone?"

Okay, so maybe not complete silence, but at least her ears stopped ringing. "No," she answered begrudgingly. "Ginta and Hakkaku smell fine. Kouga does, too." Her nose wrinkled and she suppressed a shudder. "But Inuyasha needs it the most."

Inuyasha sputtered, his outrage rising with each breath. The two ookami looked at each other before approaching her slowly. "Uh, Kagome?" Ginta asked, crouching near her. "What does Inuyasha smell like to you?"

"Dirty, wet dog. It's disgusting!"

"Hey! At least I don't smell like a mangy wolf!"

"Don't call me mangy!" she shrieked, jumping to her feet and glaring the hanyou down.

" _You're_ the one who said I smell disgusting!"

"You _do_! I can't help what you smell like!"

"Well if it's so terrible," he said in that tone that was guaranteed to tick her right off, "why don't you go off with your new friends?"

That _jerk!_ "Maybe I will!"

Kagome stomped off toward the tree line, ignoring the incredulous looks being passed around the camp. Screw him. If Inuyasha was going to act like such a jerk, she wasn't going to be around him.

"Kagome, where are you going? Get back here!"

She ignored him. No way was she going to go back when he was yelling and being rude. She'd already had one of the worst mornings she could ever remember — waking up to find she had enhanced hearing, enhanced smelling, claws, fangs, and a _tail_ — Kagome was bound determined to have at least a _better_ afternoon.

And if all that meant was she didn't have to listen to Inuyasha and Kouga fight, then that's what she was going to do.

...

Kagome smelled his approach long before he broke through the brush.

Not that she was trying to hide. The gang had followed her, making sure to stick together while still giving her space, and she appreciated the wisdom behind that decision. Still didn't make her want to deal with any of it any time soon. It had taken far too long to find a comfortable way to sit on the fallen tree and even longer to adjust to the many new sounds of the forest, but Kagome had finally found a small measure of peace.

She hadn't expected it to last long, but at least the scent nearing was one of comfort.

It was weird to see Kouga as a human. She hadn't realized how natural it had been to see the flash of fang in his smirks or the flick of his tail against his leg as he moved. Now, without everything that had inadvertently made him _him_ , he looked…off. Different, but still the same Kouga. She wasn't sure how she felt about it.

"Can I join ya?"

"If you want," she answered softly, her temper having faded away half an hour before, "though I'm probably not good company."

He scoffed, proving that no matter the physical differences he was still Kouga, and made his way over. She didn't move as he sat close to her and wasn't certain if it was because she was drained or because she simply didn't want to.

"This must be pretty hard for ya."

"Probably just as hard for you," she pointed out. "I gained a lot, but you lost just as much."

He shrugged, an easy movement to his shoulders. "It's taking some getting used to, that's for sure. But I'm positive the earlier show isn't helping you any."

No, it wasn't, but she kept quiet.

"Though when you said Inuyasha smelled like wet dog—" he broke off to laugh and his humor tugged at the corner of her lip. "Ah, that's almost worth it."

"Does he really always smell like that?"

"We don't smell any better to him," Kouga answered. "It's built in our natures to keep us from crossing paths too often."

"And you don't get used to it?"

"Nah, not really. You kinda learn how to tolerate it."

Huh. "But you keep visiting?"

His grin really did look different without the fangs. "Well I sure wasn't visiting to see mutt-face."

Kagome found herself smiling, before dropping her gaze to her knees. This entire day had thrown her for a loop and she finally found company that didn't make her feel like such a freak. Probably because he was in the same predicament she was.

"Do you have any idea how this happened?"

"No."

She sighed.

"Though we might be able to find out."

"How?"

"Well, it only happened to us and I know we joined up with you yesterday, so figured we could retrace our steps. See if we find something that's out of place."

In terms of ideas, it wasn't the most solid one she'd heard, but it was all she had. Kagome had to figure this out — she didn't want to spend the rest of her life as a youkai.

"Is it really so bad?" he asked. "Being an ookami?"

She thought it through, remembering the awful smells and the headache from so many sounds. But then she remembered the calm scent of the breeze and the ease of her steps through the forest, that extra _oomph_ in her senses that told her they were safe.

"It's not terrible," Kagome ventured. "I can see where you would love it, but it's just not…me."

He hummed in agreement and she settled in a bit more.

"How's being human?"

"Awful."

She couldn't help but giggle at his tone.

"Can't smell anything, can't hear anything, feel like I'm moving through mud. I don't know how you can survive like this."

"Trade ya?"

The joke worked, drawing out a lively laugh from Kouga.

"It'll get better once night falls," he murmured, toeing at the dirt. "You'll feel better, clearer. Almost like a fog has lifted."

She'd wondered. Wolves seemed to move through all times of day, but the sun bright in the sky made her want to find a cool spot and nap.

"It'll get worse for you," she offered. "The afternoon's the best, when the sun is warm on your face and you feel like you have the entire world before you. At night, the world narrows down to what you can see."

"So sleeping in a forest isn't going to work?"

She smiled. "Not at first. We should find a field so you can at least see the sky."

"Eh, don't worry about me." He leaned back, hooking his elbows on the log and adjusting into a lounge she wasn't sure was comfortable. "I'll be fine."

"You say that _now_."

"And if it's a problem later tonight, I'll stick close to you so you can protect me."

She laughed, utterly surprised at the words. Kouga seeking her for protection? Oh, that was such a change.

Her laughter drifted and they fell into a soothing silence. The forest around them came to life once more, birds chirping in the trees and smaller animals moving through the brush. She'd never have heard this as a human and it filled her with awe to experience it now. Would she miss it when she was human again?

"Are they coming?" he asked suddenly, tension starting to build in his shoulders.

"Ginta and Hakkaku are circling us," she answered, still baffled that she knew. "Miroku, Sango, and Shippou are trying to get close without us knowing and Inuyasha is moping in the trees."

"How much longer do we have?"

She inhaled, pulling in foreign scents. "A bit. Everyone still seems to be a bit hesitant."

He relaxed again, but he still seemed tense. Figured. It had probably been a long time since he had to rely on someone else's senses.

"It really does suck that I'm human," he murmured. "I bet you smell fantastic."

Heat flared across her nose, remembering the longing she sensed from him earlier that morning when they woke up. Discovering all the changes in her had taken precedence and only the sudden surge in his scent had told her something else was wrong.

"If it helps," she offered tentatively, "you smell good."

He didn't say anything, but she somehow felt his curiosity grow.

"Clean. What I think the spring probably smells like. It matches Sango and Miroku, but there's a clarity to your scent that they don't have."

When he looked at her, his blue eyes dark and and surging with emotion she didn't understand, Kagome wondered if maybe she shared too much. Here he was, missing so much about his identity and she was inelegantly throwing it in his face.

Even as the silence settled, she couldn't figure out how to fix it.

"Have ya gotten used to your tail yet?" he asked in a rough, low voice and she was grateful for the change of conversation.

"No." She shook her head. "I keep sitting on it."

"Flick it." His gaze darted down and she felt the fur on said tail shift. "When you move, flick it and it'll follow your movements. So if you're standing, it'll help your balance and when you're sitting, it'll keep out of your way."

Her tail flicked in reflex, brushing against his hip before curling around hers. It was still the strangest thing in the world. Claws, fangs, heightened senses, pointed ears — none of that compared to looking down and seeing a black, fluffy tail at the base of her spine.

"Better?"

She shifted, flicking her tail once before getting comfortable on the log, and smiled at the discovery that he was right. She didn't have to think about it, just move and it followed her movements.

He was watching her tail, his expression closed off again.

"Kouga?"

It took him a bit to pull his gaze up, his eyes now downright stormy. "You have a beautiful tail."

She glanced down, wondering what made a tail beautiful.

"Black isn't common in my pack," he continued. "We're mostly brown, but I know a few of the northern packs have some gray and a few black wolves." His hand flinched, then tightened around his thigh. "You'd fit right in."

The look on his face and the tension in his hand made her restless, though she didn't understand why. She shifted again, her tail bouncing around her leg, almost like it wanted to reach out to him. Though with memories of Shippou accidentally grabbing it, she didn't want to take that chance again.

"Forgive me, Kagome," he said softly and the next thing she knew, his palm coasted down the length of her fur. "I know what this is going to do, but it's the only way to calm that sudden bout of nerves."

Shivers danced over her skin, spreading across her chest and then narrowing down to her hips. She felt each caress of his hand on her skin, finding sensitive spots on her arms, her neck, her belly until she realized where all the sensations were gathering.

He gave one more long, slow pass through the tip, then gently pulled away. His nostrils flared, followed by that same scent of longing, but mixed with despair this time. Still, he didn't look away.

Her tongue stuck to the roof of her mouth, unable to formulate any kind of response. He'd succeeded, that restless energy had faded away and she felt more in control of herself. Only now she wanted more, she wanted more touches and kisses and things she hadn't ever realized she'd wanted. Inclinations she'd refused to entertain, needs she'd shoved far down to ignore.

Kagome swayed toward him, but his hand on her shoulder kept a bit of distance between them.

"What I wouldn't give to be able to smell you right now." His hungry gaze took in her face, then softened.

"Come on." He stood, dusting off his legs and turning to give her a hand. "Let's go see what the others think about finding out how to turn you back."

* * *

 _How do they figure it out? I have no idea. But the journey is half the fun and Kagome gets to see another side of Kouga._

 _His scent is so clean because he got her miko powers. She smells the same to him when they're back to normal. Kouga doesn't realize he has purification powers until later and it scares the bejeezus out of him. :)_

 _Let me know what you think!_


End file.
